I have struggled for years to find something to help enrich the gifted students in my class. I have been looking for something that would be highly individualized, independent, and motivating. Our district's Gifted and Talented Coordinator told me about ALEKS. I spent some time after school to explore the ALEKS website and instantly became interested in getting my students to use it as soon as possible. In a perfect world I would use ALEKS as an enrichment and remediation tool for all my students. I also like the program because it will give them something to do at home over the summer! It is very easy to use and I like all the reports I can print to show to parents. I love the way ALEKS is very skill specific! Great resource!

Scenario

What challenges did the class or school face in math prior to using ALEKS? Providing enrichment to students who need their learning to extend beyond grade-level performance expectations.

How many days per week is class time dedicated to ALEKS? Varies.

What is the average length of a class period when ALEKS is used? Varies.

Implementation

How do you implement ALEKS? I explored the website and taught my student how to use it.

Do you cover ALEKS concepts in a particular order? No.

How do you structure your class period with ALEKS? My gifted student is allowed to log on to ALEKS at any time during the day, after he has completed his other assignments. His parents also use it as enrichment at home during the week.

How did you modify your regular teaching approach as a result of ALEKS? Our school has already made the shift to teaching math in a very skill-specific way, so this program fits nicely.

How often are students required or encouraged to work on ALEKS at home? I encourage my student to work in ALEKS at least three times per week.

How do you cultivate parental involvement and support for ALEKS? I print out reports and send them home to keep parents updated on the student's progress.

Grading

How do you incorporate ALEKS into your grading system? Using the reports, I can tell if students are working on skills that are above grade-level, which is reflected in the report card.

Do you require students to make regular amounts of progress in ALEKS? Not yet. As I get more familiar with the program I will.

Learning Outcomes

Since using ALEKS, please describe the learning outcomes or progress you have seen. I have seen major growth in all areas. My student is VERY motivated by this program. He can continuously see his progress and loves to watch the pie chart fill in as he completes each lesson.